Couples therapy

Our relationships with our intimate partners are the source of the greatest joy and comfort that we can experience. Sometimes, however, they can also be a source of great distress. Our life circumstances, and/or emotional difficulties, can leave us feeling more distant from our partners than we can bear, or alternatively, locked in a painful cycle of seemingly endless conflict, that neither one wants but that seems impossible to escape. Many couples also experience difficulties in their physical relationship, and these can feel deeply upsetting for both parties. Couples in these circumstances can find themselves turning away from each other, in order to avoid the pain that they are experiencing. However, this also has the effect of increasing the distance between them, which then makes it even more difficult to find a way through their troubles. On the other hand, trying to sort things out can sometimes seem to make them even worse than before.

Couples therapy seeks to find a way through these situations, by providing a space to talk and think together that is outside the normal routine of day-to-day life, and is also facilitated by the presence of a therapist. In a similar way to individual therapy, couples therapy seeks to help a couple understand themselves, each other and the particular dynamics of their relationship, in order that they can then create a life of enriching happiness together.

Psychosexual therapy is a subset of couples therapy that looks to directly resolve difficulties that a couple may have with their physical relationship. It revolves around discussing these difficulties in therapy sessions, and thinking together about what they might try to do about these at home. While it can sometimes feel awkward to begin having these conversations, couples usually find that it is a relief to be able to discuss these subjects, and that it can be empowering to feel that these difficulties can be resolved with a little effort and patience.